“No,” he answered.
“Liar.” I bumped my fist to his belly. His rock-hard belly. Good fucking god, he had killer abs. “I can go to the market unsupervised, you know.”
His blue eyes glimmered with amusement. “Did you just punch me, oh great muffin lord?”
“You better behave, or I’ll do it again.”
“I’m terrified,” he said with that same gleam. “Truly.”
“Captain!” a female voice called out before a bombshell of a woman appeared. Long black hair, big brown eyes, and a darkcomplexion. Her long-sleeved blouse fell off her shoulders and dipped low in the front, showing off her impressive cleavage. A cinched corset held the twins in place and accentuated her hourglass shape. Form-fitted trousers clung to her legs and thighs and were tucked into tall black boots. Reaching us, she handed Maddox a pouch. “You forgot this on the table. How fortunate that I’m trustworthy, eh?”
“Trustworthy? That statement is highly debatable.” Maddox accepted the pouch and fastened it to his belt. “But I thank you all the same.”
I glanced between them, feeling a weird gnawing in my ribs. He’d forgotten it on the table? Meaning they’d been eating together somewhere before this?
So, Maddox really hadn’t been following me. He’d been withher. Why? Who the heck was she?
The woman tossed him a flirty little smile that soured my gut. “If you truly wish to thank me, you should do it properly.”
Maddox’s expression remained flat.
“Still a man of very few words,” she said with a sigh. Her dark eyes then shifted to me, as if noticing me for the first time. “Hello there.”
“Hi.” I could barely get the word out.
Stop overthinking it.Just because she was beautiful and standing, perhaps a bit too close, to Maddox didn’t mean anything.
Right?
It also didn’t mean anything that he’d been with her after telling me before leaving home that morning that he was working all day.
Working. Right.
“This is Isabel.” Maddox motioned to her. No further explanation.
“You must be Evan.” A sly grin curved her lips. “Quite the miracle worker, aren’t you? Managing to steal the heart of our dear captain here.”
Excuse the fuck out of me, but what?Ourdear captain? And did she seriously just grab his arm?
“Enough teasing, woman.” Maddox shrugged her off and focused on me. “Are you finished shopping? I can walk you home.”
“Um. Yeah, I guess I’m done.” I dropped my gaze to the bags I’d set at my feet.
The café was closed that day, so I’d taken advantage of the free time to shop and get out for a while. I’d browsed clothes for my upcoming trip—which was creeping up on me fast—picked up new books for the reading parlor, and purchased ingredients for the casserole I’d planned to make for dinner that night. A smaller bag had honey-roasted almonds for Lake.
Maddox grabbed the bags and looked at Isabel. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” She placed two fingers at her temple and did a little salute, followed by a wink. “Don’t keep me waiting for too long.”
Hot coals piled into the pit of my stomach. A burning heaviness that slowly spread through my entire body.
Who was Isabel to him? Why did they seem so familiar with each other? I was suddenly having second thoughts about my trip. Leaving Maddox alone with Boob-zilla didn’t sound like the greatest idea in the world.
She’d wanted him to thank her “properly.”
Had hethankedher before? How often? And was he stillthankingher?
As I walked beside Maddox, I couldn’t look at him. Thoughts racing, I kept my eyes on the cobblestone path beneath my feet.The people around us became a blur, as did the rest of the marketplace. I felt so off.
